Choctaw Nation And United States Attorney For The Eastern District Of Oklahoma Co-Host Law Enforcement Summit
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - On Monday, October 17, 2022, law enforcement officials gathered at the Choctaw Nation Headquarters in Durant, Oklahoma, for the 2022 Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Law Enforcement Summit. The event was co-hosted by the Choctaw Nation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The goal of the summit was to provide law enforcement and prosecutors serving within the territorial boundaries of the Choctaw Nation an opportunity to discuss the continuing changes in Indian Country jurisdiction and to focus on continued collaboration between local, state, tribal and federal agencies.
“On behalf of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, thank you to United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma,” said Kara Bacon, Tribal Prosecutor, CNO. “This summit and other opportunities like this give our local law enforcement community—drawn from tribal, local, state, and federal agencies—an opportunity to dialogue and develop best practices as federal Indian law and policy evolves.”
“My sincere thanks to Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton and the Choctaw Nation Department of Public Safety for providing a wonderful venue for the summit,” said United States Attorney Christopher Wilson. “It was great to have representatives from local police departments, sheriff departments, Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, state law enforcement agencies, federal law enforcement agencies, district attorney offices, Choctaw Nation tribal prosecutors, and federal prosecutors in the same room. Together, we utilized this opportunity to strengthen coordination and communication which is critically important to accomplish our common mission of promoting public safety, holding criminals accountable, and obtaining justice for victims.”
The summit featured panelists and presenters from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bryan County Sheriff’s Office; Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; District Attorney Offices (Districts 16, 18, and 19); Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; Idabel Police Department; McAlester Police Department; Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; Poteau Police Department; United States Attorney’s Office and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The format included panel discussions addressing topics such as:
- Indian Country Jurisdiction, Concurrent Jurisdiction, & Federal/Tribal/State Authority;
- Law Enforcement Authority in Indian Country;
- Concurrent Jurisdiction following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta decision on June 29, 2022;
- Law Enforcement Authority in Indian Country;
- Law enforcement and prosecutorial responses to crimes within the Choctaw Nation; and
- Savanna’s Act, Ida’s Law and the expansion of Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022;
and presentations on arson, firearms, and illegal narcotics offenses.
